Archives for September 2016

September 2016 - Page 2 of 2

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Touch of Teal, with Six Neutral Colors

September 15, 2016

Sigh... there are NO teal foods. If a food is teal, it's a genetic mutation, or a scary misuse of food coloring!So we've abandoned my very fun food theme for post titles, but the general concept of accenting neutral outfits holds true. And teal is SO pretty in the capsule wardrobe...

The teal tee shirt has a slightly different neckline than usual, and it's tunic-length. We like to keep some options available!

I wasn't at all sure how olive and teal would be together, but I could cheerfully wear either of these outfits (and olive isn't a good color for me...) Remember, when looking for scarves, to check out the men's departments. Why some scarves are only for men is a mystery to me...

I don't know ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Dash of Cinnamon, with 6 Neutral Colors

September 14, 2016 I found some lovely things in that russet color that was so elusive... And it occurred to me, again, that garments that aren't in the same fabrics don't have to be the precise same color! This tee shirt and cardigan would look gorgeous together in a capsule wardrobe:

This is a great combination:

I wasn't at ALL sure how this would work, but keeping silver metal in the jewelry made all the difference...

These colors worked wonderfully together; I particularly like this scarf. It's more of a blend of close colors than any exact matching.

Here's a case of 2 colors that are opposites on the color wheel, and which are therefore MADE for ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Dab of Mustard, with 6 Neutral Colors

September 13, 2016

I'm still looking for nice pieces in rust (russet? warm red?), so I decided to skip that color for now and head directly into deep gold!What to call this color? When you're searching for things like this online, try gold, yellow, mustard, and saffron, for a start; I'm sure that there are lots of outlandish color names that I missed. Why do companies believe that calling something "burnished autumn" is going to help potential buyers find their stuff?

This isn't an easy color to wear, but it's present in so many school colors that you see it fairly often in the US in the autumn. (if you're from outside the US, please note that many people here take high school and college football - American football - very ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Drop of Wine, with 6 Neutral Colors

September 12, 2016

Many of you have asked me how to integrate an accent color into a neutral wardrobe; this is my attempt to give you some suggestions, and a gentle bit of guidance.Let's assume, for the sake of conversation, that you have your core ensemble for cooler weather, in your favorite neutral:

Tee – J. Crew; pants – L.L.Bean; cardigan – H&M; boots – Sarto

Some of these are easier to assemble than others; if olive green is your favorite neutral, you're not going to see yourself coming and going on the streets...

Sweater – J. Crew; pants – J. Crew; cardigan – J. Crew; boots – Corso Como

I've put together a few ensembles in more "business-y" looks, and others that ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of Marevna by Diego Rivera

September 9, 2016

This is another of those works that I often see at the Art Institute of Chicago. She's not exactly pretty, but I think she's rather handsome:

Class Reunion/Homecoming

earrings – Kate Spade; scarf – Nordstrom; dress – Lands’ End; lipstick – Bobbi Brown in Uber Beige; cardigan – Miu Miu; bracelet – Robert Lee Morris; watch – La Mer Collections; nail polish – Chanel Le Vernis in Cavaliere; shoes – Cole Haan; tote – Marni

"After looking at the RSVP list, I certainly hope SHE's coming. We're going to need a calm head in this crowd..."

Sweater – Jil Sander; cashmere tee shirts – J. Crew; ring – L. Erickson; necklace – Natasha; scarf – Klements; jeans – L.L.Bean; skirt – Lands’ ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Spirit of Autumn by Albert Pinkham Ryder

September 8, 2016

Thanks for suggesting this painting to me! I love the art ideas I receive from you...

Class Reunion/Homecoming

"She was always so GLAMOROUS - I was afraid to even speak to her..."

Sweater – Jardin des Orangers; necklace – Bauble Bar; ring – Pomellato; ivory tee – Jaeger; metallic tee – MM6 Maison Margiela; scarf – Santorus; belt – Levi’s; clutch – Elliott Lucca; cords – Mother; corduroy skirt – Dorothy Perkins; ballet flats – Bernardo; jeans – Closed; loafers – L’Amour des Pieds

"Well, I know that she got a veterinary degree; she probably takes care of little teacup designer dogs for movie stars..."

"She's about the size ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue by Georgia O’Keeffe

September 7, 2016 I'm not sure that I love this, exactly, but I have to admit that it's memorable, and it's sort of mesmerizing...

Scarf – Etro; earrings – Alexis Bittar; dress – Lands’ End; lipstick – Chanel Rouge Coco in Gabrielle; cardigan – J. Crew; bracelet – Alexis Bittar; watch – Movado; nail polish – Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Puissant; shoes – Cole Haan; tote – Orciani Class Reunion/Homecoming Weekend

Sweater – L.L.Bean; ring - Armenta; necklace – Swarovski; black and white tee – Rag & Bone; blue tee – The Mercer N.Y.; scarf – Image Diary; jeans – L.L.Bean; skirt – Lands’ End; handbag – Lautem; boots – Munro; flats – Vaneli; pants – ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris

September 6, 2016 I see this painting frequently, and am always riveted by the impact that two colors can provide:

Class Reunion/Homecoming Weekend

Earrings – Black; dress – Eleventy; boots – Madden-Girl; cardigan – Lands’ End; scarf – Ralph Lauren; watch – Emporio Armani; nail polish – Dior in “Junon”; tote – Under One Sky "I don't know if she'll make it - knowing her, she's probably living in an ashram somewhere..."

Blouse – Peter Cohen; earrings – Ippolita; ring – Geraldine Valluet; necklace – Wild Lilies; marled sweater – M.I.h Jeans; blue sweater – Roberto Collina; pants – Fabiana Filippi; scarf – Nordstrom; skirt – Lands’ End; clutch – Edie Parker; ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of a Young Woman by Henri Regnault

September 5, 2016 She caught my eye, across the room, at the Art Institute of Chicago:

Class Reunion/Homecoming Weekend

Scarf – Fraas; earrings – Irene Neuwirth; dress – Lands’ End; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bracelet – Nest; watch – Movado; shoes – Cole Haan; briefcase - Eddie "Is she going to be here? I hear that she's a CEO somewhere..."

"I certainly hope so - seeing her is practically the only reason that I came..."

Turtleneck – Armani; brooch – One Kings Lane; necklace – Natasha Accessories; black and white tee – Rag & Bone; turquoise tee – Lands’ End; scarf – Talbots; jeans – L.L.Bean; skirt – Lands’ End; clutch – Urban Expressions; boots – ... View the Post

One Navy Dress in a Capsule Wardrobe: 14 Ways to Wear it With Muted Accents

September 2, 2016

One last adventure with this dress - this time, with muted accent colors like olive, burgundy, and mustard! (I have been hungry 24/7 for a week...)

You might notice more or less immediately that I'm reusing a TON of accessories from the recent post with the grey dress. I'm not doing this because I'm lazy, (well...) but because it all fell into place, unexpectedly.

When I put together posts like this, which are variations of previous posts, I reuse the original PowerPoint file. For this, I went through each page, deleted the original grey dress, and pasted in the navy dress. Then I changed the color of the divider stars... It was only when I went to the next step - changing the accessories - that I realized that I ... View the Post

12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: September

September 1, 2016

It's really starting to sink in with me how big this file is! 31 pages of images, all but 1 of which gets changed each month... But it's such a fun exercise! As always, let's first look at the scarves around which we are building the 6 capsule wardrobes:

For all six outfits for September, I included a flannel shirt, corduroy pants, shorts boots, gloves, a scarf, and some kind of vest. Within those fairly strict guidelines, I still was able to pull together some wide-ranging looks! And yes, I would wear a plaid scarf with a plaid shirt. In a heartbeat...

Only 21 pieces of clothing, but it just feels like more, doesn't it?

The new additions are going ... View the Post